The Legend of Junto
by Lumpyness
Summary: Set 30 years after the events in Republic City. The world is moving on apace, with events from the past bringing up countless unforseen consequences in the present. The Avatar's legacy continues. This story contains several alterations on the ending of the Legend of Korra, Book 2, which are described at the start of the first chapter.
1. Prologue

_Just a quick apology in the foreword; I consider the Avatar universe to be one entity, and as such, I refuse to place this under the Legend of Korra heading - Avatar it is._

_Additionally, there are a number of alterations to the canonical story which this tale takes on. In contrast to the end of the Legend of Korra, Book 2, Korra still has her connection to past Avatars, the spirit portals were closed once more, and Korra and Mako stayed together after the final battle. Any other adjustments to the train of events which lead to this tale and which differ from the canon will be explained in full.  
_

* * *

**The Legend of Junto**

**Book One: Space**

**Prologue: A World of Change - 199 ASC**

"Ambassadors, please! Let me speak! The Hirontan Space Program is purely a research venture for the benefit of all –"

"Rubbish! This new technology provides the states of Hirontan and Cho Ten with a position of power over the rest of the world – a position which could easily be turned into a strong military advantage. The demands have been set! Failure to comply with all of the critical elements and at least half of those non-critical ones will be seen as an act of violation of the Intergovernmental Agreement."

"Republic ambassador, you forget; in calling upon the Intergovernmental Agreement to support your calls for suppression of the Hirontan Space Program, you admit to allowing the opposition to invoke IA statements in their defence. As such, I take Point 54; "_The Intergovernmental Agreement grants any unity of states the right to suppress the application of any technological advancements for military purpose, thereby controlling total suppression of the technology until such time as it may shared among the suppressing states to an extent verified by an independent panel, if and only if the technology has no immediate, non-military applications in further research, as referred to by Point 34 as "permitted chain of research_"." Republic Ambassador, the Hirontan Space Program has –"

"No proven chain of research! If the state of Cho Ten is to continue its ventures into space, then there must be serious restrictions placed upon its development! I propose..."

Mako turned away. He already knew what the Republic ambassador was proposing – and his demands were preposterous. Everyone thought so. At least, the firebender hoped that they did.

"Tenzin? I'm just going outside for some fresh air."

"Oh go ahead – this will take some time. I know how hard you find it to relate to politics, so why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

Mako nodded curtly to the aged airbender and turned away from the balcony overlooking the nineteenth convening of Intergovernmental Congress. A few minutes of brisk walking later, and he was out on one of the high balconies overlooking Chameleon Bay and the Knotted Isles. To his right was a long stretch of wall, beyond which was the sato parking zone.

To his left, however, was the Anziong peninsula, stretching out in all its glory towards the far horizon. The spear of land had once been completely covered in dense forests – but all that was changing now that the state of Hirontan was emerging as an economic powerhouse.

Although warm, the day was overcast and humid, with a few fingers of light puncturing the dense, low clouds that hung like a smothering blanket over Anziong and Hirontan. The scene might have been beautiful, were it not for the memories which stuck like thorns in his side...

It was seven years ago to the day. He had sat by Korra's bedside trying to understand why...

The healers did everything they could, and Korra herself continually said that everything has its time, and everything ends...but Mako could see the grief in her eyes. The time they had shared together in this world had been cut far too short.

Thankfully, Riyo had been old enough to understand what had happened, and was able to cope better than her father had expected. The teenage firebender had been very quiet for several months after her mother's passing, but had soon returned to her old bright and cheerful nature.

Korra had, at the very least, left her mark on the world – a legacy that was in league, perhaps, with the greatness of that of her predecessor, Avatar Aang.

The United Republic of nations was flourishing as a powerhouse of social advancement, with the state's economic boom bent almost exclusively towards raising the living standards of those in conditions of poverty. Oh, the rich and the powerful had objected – those with deep pockets and vested interests in the play of intranational politics, but Korra had put her foot down. After the anger of an Avatar, many of the more mouthy and objectionable bourgeois families were shamed into silence, and suddenly any excessive wealth was diverted to alleviate the suffering of those worst off. Now, many thousands of refugees placed strain upon the economy of the United Republic of Nations, but its politicians held their promises to the late Avatar...for now.

Many other tribes and collections of towns had begun to adhere to the myriad of emerging states around the world, and conflicts of interest had arisen almost everywhere. Consequently, Korra had found her services as the keeper of the peace under great strain, and it was with great regret that she had contacted and breathed new life into the old Dai Lee. Now, the ranks of the Dai Lee, the international police of the planet, kept watch over the political scuffles between states, ensuring that they did not spiral out of hand and into military conflict.

A world of change was what Korra had always wanted – change for the better. And right up until she had contracted that fatal illness while caring for the sick of Ba Sing Se, had she fought hard for that change – the _right _change. But now...

Now the greatest threat came not from the simplistic squabbles over natural resources and their "owners", but the developing world that consumed these resources at an alarming rate. And the ruthless advance of science that seemed to outstrip all measures of social policy designed to control its explosive exploration of the physical world did nothing to help.

"Mako! There you are!" The head of security jumped at the sound of this dearly beloved voice. Turning, the weary man saw the owner of that soothing voice scooting over towards him from the sato parking zone.

"Asami! What –" But Mako's question was smothered by his lover's kiss, and the next few minutes were filled with mindless passion.

Even at the age of 49, Asami Sato was as beautiful as ever – it were as though the passage of time aged her not. Mako barely felt worthy of her any more...but their relationship had been so much more than merely physical since Korra had passed away. Mako no longer felt any guilt for his reconnection with Asami – the firebender's own daughter had talked her father out of his regret, and now the Avatar's widow was certain that his wife would have understood. Mako had been lost – totally devastated by the death of his most beloved one, but in those torturous months of universal hatred, Asami had held his hand and brought him through the worst of it. The result had been a rekindling of their long-starved flame for one-another.

Finally surfacing, Mako drew back for a moment to gaze into his lover's face, their arms still wrapped around each other.

"Asami, what are you doing here? Didn't Future Industries need you to –"

"Not really. The meetings finished early – my latest shipment had already departed from the docks. Who would have thought that Future Industries would become a world leader in renewable energies?" She finished with a laugh, brushing a, errant strand of black hair from her eyes.

"Well," Mako paused for a second, choosing his words carefully, "it does help that they've got one of the worlds brightest minds on the panel of experts. You're the one who picked the market!" Asami blushed. Mako loved it when she did that.

Suddenly, Asami's smile fell, and her face wrinkled with concern.

"You're not happy – what is it? Tell me." She could always tell, and Mako could never hide the truth, so he had stopped trying.

"Seven years..." he began, but Asami placed a finger over his lips.

"We all miss her, Mako, and none more than you. Now, I accept that this will affect you for years to come, but if you can simply remember that how your emotions affect your behaviour is under your control, then you will always pull through." Pausing once more, Mako considered now her words, rather than his own thoughts.

"Of course you're right," he said simply, smiling and washing away the negative thoughts with the idle part of his mind. Asami's smile, however, did not return.

"And?" she questioned. There was no hiding this one, either.

"There's something else. Something worse..."

"The same?"

"Yes. There's no news...no reports, nothing at all."

"They will be found, Mako – the Order will not stop until it has a new Avatar."

"The Earth Kingdom's a very big place –"

"Just...shut up and kiss me." Mako did as he was told.

* * *

_That's the Prologue out of the way - this is intended only to give context to the rest of the story.  
_


	2. Chapter One

_...And here is chapter one! Just to give this some perspective, 200 ASC is 200 After Sozin's Coment, so 100 years after the events of The Last Airbender, and 30 years after The Legend of Korra. Once we get far enough in, I'll upload an additional chapter which fills out the details of all events between 100 and 200 ASC in the form of a timeline._

_For now, enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter One: A Spirit's Call - 200 ASC**

Ethereal winds sighed in the treetops. Leaves danced about the stones and sand of desolate beach. The waves washed gently against rocky outcrops, their foamy tips lost in the mists of green and orange seas.

"Where...?" the boy mumbled, tearing his eyes away from the beautiful yet lonely beach before him. That incessant tug was beginning to bite at his patience. It was rare that anything ever tugged at his peaceful nature to the extent that that he became irritated.

Junto frowned, peering into the murky swamps that lay inland from the dismal sands. He could feel the pull, the tug of some living force which sought ever after his own.

"I don't understand – where are you?"

* * *

Tears streaming down his cheeks, the boy awoke, shaking and crying out. Why couldn't he see them? Where were they? Why didn't –?

"Junto? Junto!" A woman burst into his room, her dark face taut with angst. "My sweet Junto, I'm here –" The little boy was instantly smothered by her soft night-coat. He clung to the furs for dear life, as though the terror of his dreams would snatch him up and leave him trapped upon that lonely beach with nothing but a disembodied voice calling his name for all eternity...

As the heaving sobs slowed and faded to tearful sniffs, Junto gulped and looked up into his mother's eyes.

"Mother," he whispered, "why am I afraid?"

"What is it, my treasure? Did you dream?" Junto forced down his sobbing, regaining control of his composure, and told his mother of the place. Of the lonely beach, its brown sands, orange mists and skies, green waters, and dim swamps. When he was finished, his mother, Mira, merely smiled and held her son closer.

"Junto, my sweet, it was just a dream..." But Junto could sense something else in her voice...the kind of motherly caring which she only ever expressed in times of fear for her son.

Fear...but it was just a dream, wasn't it?

* * *

Junto found himself wandering the bamboo thickets again the next morning, contemplating the meaning of this nightmare. Why had it frightened him so? And why had it scared his mother even more? This made no sense...unless there were some hidden meaning within the dream – but no, how could there be? Dreams were simply the mind's way of cleaning up after a hard day's thought. It was his consciousness sweeping the mental debris into the bin of forgottenness.

His whole life, Junto had lived alone with his mother. He had everything a little boy should want, his mother told him: a roof over his head, a comfortable bed, food when he was hungry, and as much time to play as he could possibly imagine.

But that was the trouble. His imagination had been limited to the confines of his experiences. So Junto had begun to question, to seek answers in the outside world, and to this end he had begun to roam far and wide...and not just in the physical world.

At the age of five, Junto's mother had told him, a boy should have friends – but not too many and not too often. Once a week she would take her son down to the local village so that he could _play_ with the other children. The adults always looked at him strangely, and rarely spoke with his mother unless it were on business terms.

Junto did not understand the other children. They played well, oh yes. They enjoyed their free time – and so did he, to an extent. But what was the point? Why bother living like that? Going, day after day, to school? Being forced to see the world a particular way? Becoming slaves to the societal norm? Junto's many years of thought had brought about countless epiphanies, and unlimited access to the books his mother would bring back for him did nothing but help his contemplation. Junto loved books – even if most of their statements were based around unjustified conjecture, and their sentences filled with so many amoral assumptions that it made the boy sick to the stomach. So he countered them.

Junto also loved to write. He wrote and he wrote and he wrote. Mother was never impressed, but that didn't matter. Junto solved the crisis of self-purpose with pencil and paper. With words and wisdom he created paradoxes to destroy his own logic, only to conclude that, in the best interests of all living beings, his reasoning should lie outside the confines of its own barriers.

Thus, by the time he was eight years old, Junto had figured it all out.

There was no universal truth. The only meaning in life is that which we create for ourselves. Every being had a core purpose which it may pursue, as long as doing so did not infringe upon the basic right to life sustenance of any other living being.

But his purpose...

This was the only question left.

Until now, Junto had been satisfied with constructing a set of structured ideals around which a society of all people could be based, with everyone fitting into a specific niche. But what was _his_?

Contrary to almost all of the books he had read, Junto had concluded that a value _could_ be placed upon the life of each being, with its magnitude directly proportional to the amount society as a whole could potentially benefit from their chosen purpose.

The thoughts seemingly went on forever – unsolved paradoxes, unexplored realms of philosophy – Junto's contemplation knew now bounds. But it did have its consequences.

Junto could now see what his mother was doing. She was protecting him from the outside world – and understandably so. From what he had read, Junto felt that he now understood the true horror of the real world – of what awaited him out there under the open sky. However, a mind like his could not stay constrained forever. If nothing else, he needed help – he had to find out the meaning behind the dream. Mira would do nothing to help – his mother wanted only to cover him up.

It was time to leave.

* * *

Starlight danced like crystals upon the waves, and the wind blew gently in his face. Junto noticed that the element would not help him here. Interesting. The land was now a deep blue, with fiery, red and purple peaks visible further inland, beyond the dense forest of contorted trees, beneath which lay the deepest of swamps.

"Junto..." At last, the voice called his name. Until now, it had been nothing more than an indescribable sensation – but who?

"I'm here," the little boy replied, quietly at first. He was afraid – afraid of this world, with its impossible palette of colours and its counter intuition built into every living thing. Junto took a step forward, determination hardening his heart; he find the source of that voice –

Then he was awake again, sitting up in bed once more. The fear which had gripped him before was mild this time, nothing more than a faint shadow upon his mind.

It was time to leave.

* * *

_Now, people, I have a request. I'd really like some feedback on the quality of this work, but _in particular _on the construction of the story as it unfolds. I'm trying to take the fast-developing world in which we see Korra, and portray it in 30 years time - in an even more futuristic fashion. Don't worry, bending most certainly will not become obsolete, but it will have to contend with new technology. I've also developed a new conflict, which is what you'll see coming to pass over the course of this story.  
_

_All comments, reviews, and recommendations greatly appreciated!_

_Lumpyness._


	3. Chapter Two

_Now, I will confess, I am using this story as something of a platform from which some serious discussion of moral relativism can be launched. I believe, however, that it fits into the story quite well, and ties in perfectly with Junto's present (and future) character._

* * *

**Chapter Two: Launch One**

With one last foray into the town at the edge of the bamboo thicket, Junto had secured all that he needed for at least four day's walk. "Thievery" no longer plagued his conscience, not when it was mere food and water stolen from the rather excessive larder of the richest man in the town. And besides...it was all for the greater good.

While his mother had taught him what she knew of the world, Junto had developed a particular understanding of "good" and "bad". However, as his thoughts had evolved through time, his rational mind had developed a very different set of morals, and the little boy had quickly set about bending his emotional conscience to the will of his reasoned knowledge. The result of this had been severe disconnection with what the others considered to be "right" and "wrong", but Junto could not simply follow society's default code of ethics – the code that was mindlessly handed down from one generation to the next without any active reconsideration based upon the ever-changing world.

In any case, four day's worth of rations would not get him very far – not without the power of the element.

* * *

Four days later, and Junto had covered almost one hundred kilometers, so he estimated. The little boy had preferred to stick to paths less used in order to avoid unnecessary human contact, so the journey north along the peninsula had not been as light as he had hoped. Still, true weariness had yet to overcome him, for the element still drove him forward, giving him speed beyond speed, even when his own legs began to ache and falter.

By and by, the scenery began slowly to change from the rough and rustic farmland of the south to clean, green, open, rolling fields of grains and flowers. The shanty towns were replaced by sophisticated market villages, with locals and travellers all coming together to haggle over wears. Occasionally, the signs of technology could be spotted – an aeroplane would soar overhead, a rich merchant would flash some fancy gadget, or a village guard might reveal an advanced firearm in an act of intimidation. Junto loved to stop and watch these little conflicts between the hired muscle – the keepers of the peace, and local brigands. But what he yearned for even more was the influence of technology.

The history books had taught Junto all he needed to know; how the world had been transformed, in the space of one hundred years, from an age of stone to an age of iron. The touch of technology seemed to vastly improve the lives of those humans that it encountered. Of course, there were always those who would abuse obtain and abuse this power – using the most destructive of science's inventions for their own ends alone, but they were always caught and dealt with. How, though...

In many cases, the history books pointed to something else as the saviour of those threatened by criminals. Junto suspected that his mother had been selectively hiding things from him, for none of the historical tomes that she had ever brought home had _ever _gone into even the slightest detail about who – or what, this saviour might be.

* * *

One morning, as Junto set out along the chosen path after a warm night's sleep upon a dense bed of forest leaves, he saw something strange. Something glinted upon the horizon, something very tall, with a metallic sheen that was evident even at these great distances. The countryside was now very clean, with even, stone roads and clean, green pastures. It felt as though Junto were approaching a city...

Several minutes later, and the boy's bending had almost brought him within distinguishing distance of the bizarre, metal tower. Climbing through one last copse in order to avoid being seen by the myriad of foot goers who now littered the rural roads, Junto came out atop a small, rocky hillock – and felt his mind fall away into a chasm of awed curiosity.

"Whoa..." Junto stared up at the huge tower, and felt dwarfed by its scale. "That thing's huge!"

From his position atop the grassy knoll, the boy stared over the rolling green hills and into the small cluster of stone buildings. The morning Sun glinted on the steel of the great tower and caused Junto's eyes to ache. He looked away, but his curiosity was unfased. That thing was the most incredible –

"FIVE MINUTES TO LAUNCH."

Junto jumped at the huge voice, which boomed out with a force that seemed to shake the trees. Suddenly, the little boy noticed that the base of the tower was swarming with activity, with humans the size of ants scurrying to and fro; Junto imagined he could hear the noise of their work reaching his ears. He was gripped by an urge to get closer, to see what this marvellous contraption was – for a true tower it was most certainly not.

Junto hurdled several high fences, paying no heed to the signs of warning which were scattered all over the sharp wiring, and came to rest upon a small, green rise merely one hundred metres from the tower.

"THREE MINUTES TO LAUNCH."

The boy's eyes scanned the length of the silver construction, and he squinted at its enormous reflectivity. Supporting struts shot out from the body to grip firmly onto wings, and at the base of the tower there were strange, black nozzles – three, each almost five metres in diameter. Enthralled by this mysterious object, Junto's eyes continued to search through the details, until –

"Hey! You there!"

Junto's head snapped around to his right, and he saw a half-dozen burly security officers sprinting across the green towards him. Quicker than lightning, he sprang up and began to run, back towards the fences and the free pastures.

"Stop right there!" But the little boy had no intention of stopping – for he had just figured out what metal tower was. And the evidence was in on what was about to happen.

One of the guards was running much faster than the others; the earth shaped itself around his feet, giving him a quicker pace than was naturally possible. Soon, he had gained upon the boy, and as Junto reached the first wire, he glimpsed a clump of earth spinning towards him from behind.

But Junto was too quick by far – a blast of his own element sent him sailing over the fence, and the brown soil crashed harmlessly against the sharp wires and red signs of warning. A final glimpse over his shoulder awarded the little boy a feeling of greatest satisfaction, for all six of his pursuers were now standing and staring, their wide eyes and open mouths betraying their confusion.

"ONE MINUTE TO LAUNCH. ALL PERSONELL REPORT TO SAFETY ZONES. LAUNCH IN T MINUS 52...51...50..."

Reaching the grassy knoll, Junto sank to the ground to catch his breath. Such strenuous, simultaneous physical and elemental output was utterly exhausting.

"20...19...18...17..." Junto's face split into the widest of grins – he could not feel more privileged to be watching this event.

"12...11...10...9" This had never, ever been seen before. This was the first, hopefully, of very many more.

"5...4...3...2...1...IGNITION."

Junto stood up, staring into the flash of the rocket's engines, with the whole surrounds lit up by the flames of Launch One. As smoke billowed out and away from the shuddering rocket, struts fell away from the adjacent supports, and the tower began, slowly and majestically, to rise.

Soaring higher and higher into the blue, the magnificent feat of engineering grew smaller and smaller, until all that was visible was the light from Launch One's triplet engines.

"LAUNCH ONE IS AWAY."

Junto collapsed backwards onto the soft grass, staring up at the slowly fading speck of human ambition, his heart racing. And to think that the United Republic of Nations had almost succeeded in stopping this venture into space from taking place – unbelievable! From now, on, though, Junto assured himself that a search for news on the fairings of Launch One would be a priority –

"Boy, you've got some nerve!" Junto sat up, his daydreams violently disturbed by a gruff voice. He was surrounded – the exact same six guards from before had found him all too easily. Their leader, a slightly shorter and stockier man than the rest, stepped forwards.

"You're a right rascal, kid! What makes you think you can sneak into a restricted zone like that?" Junto stood up slowly, eyeing off his adversaries – for adversaries they most certainly would become – there was no other way out of this situation.

"I wanted to watch the launch –" he began, but was immediately cut off.

"Well I'm sorry, but you can't just ignore the restricted zone warnings like that! What if you'd been hurt? And how'd you even get in? You're going to have to come with us."

"Why?" There was one more path out of this scenario, one that did not involve resorting to violence; the path of reason. "Why not just let me go?"

The security guard snorted.

"Because that's the way it goes! You break the rules, you pay the price! I doubt your parents are going to be very happy, kid!" Clearly, this man had not the ability to think past his orders, and Junto could forgive him for that. What he could not tolerate, however, was the man's hand, now reaching out towards the boy's collar.

Quicker than lighting, Junto lashed out and grabbed the man's hand, pinching in as hard as he could with sharp nails. The burly guard grunted and wrenched his hand away, and the little boy felt the earth shift beneath his feet. One of the other guards had taken a bending stance, and violently raised his hand, causing a chunk of stone to tear itself out of the grass between Junto's feet – he rapidly took a step backwards, and the rock sailed harmlessly off into the air, crashing down in a patch of bamboo.

"What are you doing?" another guard cried out, her voice clearly a woman's. "Don't hurt him –"

Junto, however, made the next move. Spinning his hands in a tight pattern, the boy formed a dense ball of extreme air currents. A second later, he took a step forward and slammed the powerful sphere into the gut of the burly guard who had tried to grab him. The man rocketed backwards, flipped head over heels three times before crashing to a halt on the grass, unmoving. All of the guards' heads turned in unison from Junto to the unconscious brute and back again; their faces registered nothing but stunned confusion.

Then someone yelled "Get him!", and everyone sprang into action. Two guards, one in front, one behind, and the other four spaced out several metres away in a cross to cover the diagonals.

Ducking dangerously under the blow of the first leather-clad man, Junto stepped sharply onto his foot and gave the air currents a tug. The man stumbled forwards with a grunt, and Junto slipped between his legs, giving him a quick push and watching as he crashed into the guard behind. Leaping forward onto his hands, Junto catapulted himself over the water whip which lashed out at where he had been, and landed outside the zone of combat. Spinning to face his adversaries, Junto caught a blast of fire in a cushion of air, and dissipated it with some effort. Several more stone flew his way, but the boy was now a leaf in the wind; untouchable.

A sharp punch sent another dense ball of air into the legs of the nearest guard, and he flew backwards, collecting another on his way. Only three now remained able and standing, though one appeared to be backing away. Junto put himself through the motions of the body, all the while evading stones and fireballs, and finished with a palm thrust forward, bending the air to his will.

A great rush of air came from behind, toppling the remaining guards over backwards. Such was the force that thick bamboo copses shivered and cracking in the sudden winds. Breathing deeply, Junto took only a moment to steady himself, before leaping forwards to slam a hand to the ground between the two nearest guards who lay on their backs. The blast of air the followed blew the two brutes along the ground for many tens of metres.

Standing and breathing deeply once more, Junto noticed that one guard remained. She was backing away, clearly quite afraid – and rightly so. Junto did not like to fight, for it was dangerous, and brought unnecessary suffering.

He had been lucky – this time.

The little boy couldn't explain his powers. He didn't know why he could control the air, where others could do the same with earth, fire, and water. Of course, he knew of the ancient nations, of the old distinction between air nomads and water tribesmen, but there were certainly tomes that his mother had never given him – there were critical gaps in his knowledge. He knew that the airbenders had been almost entirely wiped out in the Hundred Years War, but not why. He knew that an airbender had returned, one hundred years later, and had finished the war, but not who.

"Whoa..." The woman was backing away slowly, her feet slipping a little on the battered and soggy slope. The fight had brought about a dramatic change to the scenery; much of the ground had been torn up, with puddles of water here and there, and parts of the bamboo thickets were smouldering. Although the sun still shone strong, the day suddenly felt cold and miserable.

Junto hissed – this destruction was an unnecessary increase in the entropy of the world.

He merely watched as the security guard turned and fled. Some of the others were also starting to stir; it would not do to have Junto still hanging around, and so thirty seconds of frantic, airbending-assisted sprinting saw the little boy almost a kilometer away.

Pausing for breath, Junto took a moment to stare up at the faint blip in the sky. Launch One was now higher than any man-made object had ever travelled before. An epic achievement – and it would only get better from here. There were even plans to send humansinto space...

What incredible discoveries were waiting up there in the vast cosmos?

* * *

Making his way quietly back onto the main northward road, Junto stopped to check a signpost:

"Juong, 5 Km"

This would do nicely.

* * *

_And that__'s chapter two. As the story unfolds, I'm trying to bring in more and more elements (pun intended) of The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Once again, any comments or constructive criticism greatly appreciated.  
_

_Lumpyness._


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three: The Young of Juong**

Junto stood, five metres from the gate, watching as the guards checked every passing commuter – but would they check _him_? A supposed local vagrant, scurrying back from adventures outside the walls with his tail between his legs?

Juong, so it was called by the roadside sign, was built upon a large hill, with furs and pines stretching out from sections of the tall stone walls like living extensions of the town itself. Smaller, denser bamboo thickets choked the grassy knolls for several kilometres in every direction – these had clearly been prompted to grow in defence of the town itself. Visible even at greater distances had been the tall towers indicative of centres of learning located within the village centre.

His observations finished, Junto paused for one more second, remembering to _think_. What was he doing here? Why this town?

"_It is fate that has brought you here._"

"_Fate? You make it sound like determinism. Free will is a fallacy – create a living system with enough variables and conditions to account for, and it will seem, in an illusory fashion, as though some greater purpose is at work within the structure of the whole. A specific configuration of the free universe gave rise to the circumstances that bring me to this town, circumstances that found their origins with my birth – ultimately, with the creation of everything. Where was the free will in that?_"

"_Then explain the conscious mind – what else are experience, emotion, and felt actions?_"

"_Correlation is not causation. Why could these traits not simply be products of the emergent property we know as life? This is no argument for the existence of_ –"

"Boy! 'Ere, boy, what are you doing?" Junto's mind snapped instantly back to the real world, for someone was clearly hailing him.

"Um...waiting for my mother. She went into the village at least half an hour ago, and told me to wait here for her. But she said the trade would only take a couple of minutes...I'm worried!" Acting was not Junto's strong point – honesty was something he treated as a life necessity, but the situation dictated that he should try to con his way into the town.

One of the rather rustic looking guards walked over to kneel down before Junto, and the little boy spotted something all too familiar hanging at the man's waist; a _firearm_. From what he had read about these remarkable devices, Junto knew that firearms utilised frontier knowledge of the biological fundamentals of bending to propel small blasts of fire at sometimes lethal speeds, like simpler projectile weapons.

"I could go an' look for her, if you'd like. What does she look like?" The guard's smile was honest and kind, and Junto felt a twinge of guilt for deceiving him.

"OK – but can I come with you? I want to see her!" It seemed that the boy's impression of a frightened, lost little child had played out well, for the guard chuckled, stood up, and took Junto's hand.

"Come on then, little chap, let's see where she's got to." As the rugged man led Junto into the town, the latter stared up at the high stone wall and impressive guard towers – was that a radio dish? Impressive!

As the two of them passed through the gate, Junto couldn't help but grin widely at the hubbub of a hectic market that lay within.

"What's your name, boy?" the guard asked kindly, and Junto yanked his attention away from the amazing colours and sounds to stare up at the man.

"Junto – and mother's name is Mira. She's short, and has dark hair and a round face. My mother's nice!" The guard chuckled again, and guilt crept over Junto's heart. He shouldn't even have any regrets – this was all necessary to gain access to the city, and his plan harmed no-one. It seemed that his own set of rationalised morals was still coming into conflict with those his mother had laid down for him as an infant.

As the market district slowly gave way to more sophisticated streets filled with stores offering all kinds of services, Junto decided it was time to put his plan into action. An alleyway lay to his left, with a myriad of smaller paths leading off in all different directions down into what appeared to be the housing district; perfect.

"There she is!" the little boy suddenly yelled enthusiastically, yanking his hand out of the guard's grip and sprinting off down in the alley.

"Hold on! Wait! I can't see her! Where..." But as Junto used his agility and free lead to round corner after corner without pause, the guard's voice faded and was lost in the hubbub. As soon as he was out of sight of all pedestrians, the airbender blasted himself over a high garden wall and landed with dull crunch on a concealed mulch bed behind a row of dense bushes in a constricted backyard. Leaning back perfectly still, Junto listened as the thump of the guard's footsteps travelled by on the other side of the fence.

"Aw, where's he got to?" The guard had stopped – he had apparently given up. Junto smiled sadly at how anxious the poor man must now be feeling. Manipulating those with moral codes less cohesive with his own was one thing, but to do so to a man with innocent intentions and minimal negative impact upon the world was another matter entirely. It was almost as bad as being forced to fight him.

As the pounding within his chest slowly subsided, Junto took a deep breath, and noticed how pleasant it was, hidden away behind a cosy curtain of dense fruit bushes.

* * *

Wandering through between the houses, Junto could still see the tallest towers at the centre of the town – the ending point for his search. The village structures were now becoming more and more sophisticated, with hardy materials crafted into elegant architecture wherever he looked –

Someone was following him. Junto could see the small figure darting through the crowd, clearly tailing the Juong newcomer. Ducking off down another small alley, he tried to use speed to his advantage, but suddenly found that this chase through the backstreets was one that he could not win.

Rounding a corner, Junto slammed right into the imposing gut of another child and fell backwards hard onto his tailbone. This boy was at least two years older than he was, with crooked grin and yellow teeth. Junto scrambled to his feet, backing away slowly and rubbing his tailbone. He was standing at the dead end of an alley, with his entrance now blocked by his pursuer, another boy of similar stature, but with more height and muscle.

"Well look at this! Boys and girls, we have a visitor!" The child with whom Junto had collided was suddenly surrounded by at least two dozen other kids, all of roughly the same age. All of a sudden, Junto felt very small – small, and scared. Dealing with six guards on open ground with clear sight lines and no-one to disturb was one thing, but...

These were just children.

What could only be the leader stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and grinning toothily.

"You're new! None of us have seen you before...so how about we get to know each other a little better? I'm Gano, and I'm boss around here. What's your name?" The boy's smiled was cruel.

"What do you want with me?" Gano threw back his head and laughed, and his cronies did the same.

"We wanna invite you in for tea and biscuits, little scamp!" The gang roared with laughter, and Junto clenched his teeth and screwed up his face.

"You lie. Now let me go, or else!" The laughter continued, but the dark-haired boy just stared at Junto, and grinned.

"Hey! This little scamp thinks we want to hurt him! Isn't that cute?" His gang was now in fits of laughter, but Junto did his best to ignore their spiteful howling, and observed his surroundings. The alley was deep...verydeep. Even the lowest roof was at least five metres up. There was no way he could jump that high...not without –

"Well I'm sorry pal, but we _insist_. You're coming back with us whether you like it or not! You'll be our honoured _guest_ while we explain to you how things are run round here." The leader took a step forward, bringing up one hand in a friendly beckoning. "Come on kid, nice and easy!" But that was all Junto needed.

As quick as a flash, he was rocketing upwards, pushed higher and higher by the very air itself, until with a muffled thump, he landed upon the sloping, tiled, green roof. The laughter ceased almost instantly, and was replaced by awed gasps.

"What the..." The brutish boy was staring up at his quarry in amazement, but it took the bully only a moment to regain his sense. Clenching his hand, he swung upwards, and Junto leapt across to the opposite roof just in time to avoid the fist-sized rock which hurtled past his ear. He was now almost seven metres up, and the ground looked so far away now –

"How did he do that?"

"This way!"

"Let's get 'im!"

Panic clutching at his heart, Junto leapt again and again. Up and up he went, until each peek back at the brown alley bellow made his stomach clench tight. He felt dizzy and disorientated, but the fear of what those other children might do to him drove him higher and higher. He hoped that they could not follow him up here.

Finally reaching the highest building in the surroundings, Junto clambered up onto the sloping roof and scrambled up the last few metres to reach the very top. The bright, midday sunlight blinded him for a moment, but his ears were not affected – a crunching noise told him that he was not alone up here.

"There you are, filthy scamp! I'm gonna smash your bones in half and toss you back down!" Junto jumped with fright, and turned around to see a burly girl hauling herself up onto the roof, supported by the earthbending of a dozen children below. She was almost twenty metres away, at the opposite end of a long rooftop washing rack. The boy could just make our her form, now sprinting through the lanes of wet clothes, her silhouette moving quite fast for someone so bulky.

Here was the choice: he could keep running...or at least try to. The nearest other rooftop was a good twenty metres distant and another five metres up. He might just make it...but if not, the fall would hardly be something to walk away from.

Or...

He could stand and fight. This girl did not appear to possess any bending ability, and even if she did, there was very little earthy substance upon this roof – aside from the roof itself. Fighting on the rooftop, however, was risky for both combatants. Any loss of concentration, any hit taken could result in a fall to one's death in the dirty alleyways below...

The choice was no longer Junto's. The girl was now walking towards him across the sloped, green tiles her pug-face twisted into an expectant grin. Her hands curled into hard fists.

"I'm gonna enjoy watching you teeter on the edge, before you fall down, jumping flea!" Junto raised his stance to a defensive pose, and the girl stopped, evidently rather taken aback.

"Please," Junto spoke clearly, trying to keep the pleading tone out of his voice, "I don't want to fight. If one of us were to fall..." He swallowed hard, and the girl cackled.

"Fight? Please! I'll show you how to fight!" Without another word, she lunged forwards, covering the remaining distance between them in only a few seconds.

But Junto was ready for her.

He took one calculated step backwards, just enough to make her blow fall short, before twisting the air within his hands about into a dense ball and launching it straight into her belly. The girl flew backwards through a dozen washing lines before she crashed to a halt against the far wall by a staircase, covered in garments of various shapes and sizes. Junto kept his stance, his bare feet planted firmly upon the stone tiles.

There was a shout from below, and the boy took one quick glance down, and saw several people pointing up at him and shouting to others.

"Come down from there!"

"Please, come down!"

"You mustn't fall!"

Junto snorted at the obvious nature of this last statement, and turned back to face his adversary, who was still extracting herself from the entangling pile of cords and clothing. The look on her face was one of anger, wonder...and fear.

Fear. Once again, Junto inspired fear within another. Rarely before had he seen true fear in the eyes of another as they looked upon him, and those were usually his mother's.

"Please," he called out yet again, holding his fighting stance, "I don't want to fight. Just leave me alone!" And for the first time, his adversary did exactly as she was told. A door crashed shut behind a scared young girl, and Junto breathed a sigh of relief. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his body was cold with the sweat of fear.

He did not like to fight.

* * *

Junto stood in the bustling crowd once more, drinking in the sounds of a timelessly busy market...the rustling of bamboo wares, the chink of coins, and the chatter of haggling yokels.

Suddenly, the boy's perception shifted – he was, once again, no longer alone – no longer unnoticed. Standing about a metre away from him was a girl of about his age, perhaps a little younger, though of a similar height, perhaps a little shorter. Her dark hair dropped down to her shoulders, and her face was simple, round, and slightly pudgy. She was clad in tough, peasant wear, with a brown skirt and patched jumper. Her feet were bare in the dry dirt. Junto thought of his mother.

"Hi..."

"Hi!" The girl beamed at him, and Junto felt unnerved. This was nothow the children he was familiar with behaved around complete strangers; then again, this town had already presented surprises today. He took a step backwards – perhaps this had something to do with the gang that had harassed him before?

The girl took a step forwards, her smile just as bright and friendly – warm and open. Junto's anxiety faded a little.

"You're new!" she said simply, and Junto nodded. "Well, I'm Kurimonji – or just Kuri. What's your name?"

"Junto," the boy replied, sticking only to the facts. He knew nothing at all about this inquisitive little girl.

"Well, Junto, it's nice to meet you – but I haven't ever seen you before! Are you new?"

"I've never been to this town before, no."

"Come one then! Let me show you around!" For once, Junto's lightning reflexes were not good enough to save him from the grasp of a quick Kuri, and quite suddenly, the boy found his hand in the warm, rough grasp hers. This was new. Very new.

* * *

Ten minutes later, and Kuri had still not stopped talking.

"This is Master Kenpachi's house – he's a blacksmith, and a really good one at that! And this," Kuri spoke, dragging Junto by the hand down yet another secluded little alleyway, "this is my house! Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"Um, no, not as such –"

"Then stay at my place! My parents are really nice – they'll feed you, and we even have a spare bed for when uncle Zolt comes to stay, but he hasn't been around in a while, so I'm sure you could –"

"Just stop for a moment!" Junto tore his hand from her grasp, but the look of hurt surprise on Kuri's face cut into the boy's conscience once more. Why was everything making him feel guilty these days? He should be moving past this!

"What?"

"Kuri, I think it's really nice that you're trying to be so helpful, but you haven't really...I mean...you don't even know who I am!" The little girl's face lit up with a great, warm, smile.

"No, but you seem nice! I wanted to help you. And..." Her voice trailed off, her smile fell, and Junto could tell that she was unhappy about something.

"What?" That was all the persuasion Kuri needed.

"Well, the gang hasn't been very nice to me lately. They keep making fun of me. I just wanted someone else to talk to." There were tears in her eyes, and Junto's guilt and pity burned like fire in his stomach once more – that was, at least, until he had digested what she had said.

"Wait...gang? What gang? Not..." Junto's mind flipped over trying to recall the more recent of his unsavoury events that day. "...Not Gano's gang?"

"What? No!" Kuri cried out with a sniff. "Those guys are even more horrible! They bully all the kids, and they go around the town causing mischief, and sometimes they even pick fights! But they never get caught...at least Huko stands up to them – at least, when he's not too busy teasing me!"

Junto's eyes fell to the ground as he worked his way through all of the information he had just received. Why did children have to speak so fast?

"Well," the newcomer spoke at length, meeting Kuri's sad gaze, "why don't you take me to see Huko? If he stands up to those other bullies, then he can't be a nasty person – maybe he's just not in his right mind at the moment. I could talk to him."

Kuri's face split into a wide grin once more, and it was all Junto could do to stop himself from smiling back.

"Alright, I like your ideas! Let's go!" And only a second later, Junto found himself being almost torn apart at the wrist once more, as Kuri dragged him off again, further into the housing district...and away from the tall towers at the centre of the town.

* * *

The two were now walking side by side along the clean, cobblestone footpaths, Junto having rescued his hand at long last.

"I've figured it out," he stated simply, and Kuri stared at him lopsidedly.

"What?"

"Why the children play." The question had bothered him for so many years, but now the answer seemed so simple – and it fitted in perfectly with his image of the world.

"The children..." Kuri said blankly. "What children?"

"All children," Junto spoke calmly. Perhaps she would understand.

"They play because that is their primary purpose in life – they exist to enjoy their existence. And that's fine – it is their chosen purpose, intentionally or not, and it doesn't drastically hinder the continued survival of any other living being, except for a couple of frog-ants which they might squash, perhaps." Kuri's expression was one of utmost confusion, and Junto sighed.

"This does, however, place only very small value on their lives. They do nothing to help society as a whole." Kuri opened her mouth to speak, but Junto held up a silencing hand. "There's something wrong with this argument, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm sure the children should be more important..."

"Children are important," blurted out Kuri simply, her bright smile back to its usual, beaming glory. "We are the future. Mother tells me so."

"_We are the future_..." Junto intoned.

He was silent for the rest of the journey.

* * *

_I'm now trying to develop a stronger link to The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. As the next few chapters are already mostly written, but still have scope for interesting additions, any recommendations that people make will be given serious consideration.  
All reviews, comments, and criticism greatly appreciated!  
_

_Lumpyness._


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